3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PP-CF

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

HIPS guideCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PP-CF comparisons
HIPS vs PP-CF — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSCarbon-fibre PP (PP-CF)POLYOLEFIN
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$107.68/kg median; $57.13–$120.00/kg across 3 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Polypropylene reinforced with chopped carbon fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]0.91 (Prusament PP Carbon Fiber, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools span 57–138; the middle of the market is about 108[7][5][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][9]57–138 across brands; Reli3D 57 at 700 g on Amazon, Prusament 108 direct from Prusa and 138 at Printed Solid, 3DXTech CarbonX PP+CF 120[7][10][5][8]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Available from several mainstream brands[5][10]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 mm; 0.65 kg spools[10][5]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Lightweight chemical-resistant parts, automotive clips and ducting that must survive above 150 °C[11]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.04 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[12]270 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[12]85 ± 10 (Prusament)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[13]Enclosure recommended — Simplify3D lists an enclosure as a hardware requirement and Polymaker advises one below 70 °C ambient to stop warping and cracking[14][15]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[12]Off — Prusa runs 0 % except 100 % on bridges[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[12]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented3.2 at Prusa's 40 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[3][16]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[13]High — enclosure needed for reliable large parts; Prusa recommends a brim[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[12]Very difficult — special plates or slurry required[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[12][17]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[13]Advanced — enclosure, hardware upgrades, tuning; hardened nozzle mandatory[3]
Extruder requirementNot documentedPrusa states a hardened nozzle is necessary and recommends a brim[3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[13]Hardened steel required — Prusa states plainly that a hardened nozzle is necessary[3]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[13]Highly abrasive — standard CF composite[3]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[12][18][2]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; 3DXTech specifies a hardened 0.4 mm minimum nozzle and 0.25 mm layers or higher, and Prusa lists composites as a higher clogging risk[4][19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[12]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[12]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[12]Negligible (<0.1 % EMC) — Prusa measures 0.03 % in 24 h and 0.04 % in 7 days on its PP composite, the lowest figures it publishes for any filament[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.03 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers)[3]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[20]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[20]Not applicable in practice at 0.04 % equilibrium uptake[3]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[20]No special storage needed[3]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]21 ± 0.4 filament tensile yield (Prusament, ISO 527)[3]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]Not documented
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented14.5 ± 0.3 printed horizontal and 10.5 ± 0.8 printed vertical XZ (ISO 179-1, notched)[3]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documentedRockwell R102 (and M95) on extruded unfilled PP stock (ASTM D785); no figure is published for a carbon-fibre PP filament[21]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][12]Not documented
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Good[22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented158 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa) — far above unfilled PP and above most engineering filaments[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented115 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[23]Not documented
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Excellent against acids, alkalis and most solvents[15]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedExcellent — essentially unaffected[3]
Food contactNot food safe[23]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[23]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[23]Not documented
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[24]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission. Inferred: no polyolefin was among the nine filaments in the Azimi chamber study, so this is a family-level judgement rather than a measurement[24]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[24]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[24]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[24]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[24]Open a window / occasional ventilation. Inferred — no polyolefin was measured in the chamber study[24]
Dust & fibre handling hazardNot documentedCarbon fibre is bound in the matrix; sanding dust should not be inhaled[3]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[23]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[12][2]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][12]Not documented
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[25][26][27]None at room temperature; chloroform dissolves the matrix at 60 °C and xylene at about 118 °C, leaving the fibre.[28][27]
Softened or crazed byLimonene also disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades, so an ABS model can flake apart in the same bath.[29]Xylene, decalin, CCl4 and chlorobenzene are heavily absorbed at 20 °C; oleum, chlorosulphonic acid and bromine destroy it.[28]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[25][29]None — nothing softens PP at room temperature, so joints have to be welded thermally rather than chemically.[28]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. 3DXMAX HIPS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXMAX HIPS — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2024-11 · tds
  4. CarbonX PP+CF — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber Black 650g — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Reli3D Carbon Fiber PP Filament 1.75 mm 700 g Black — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Prusament PP Carbon Fiber — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  12. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  13. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  14. Polypropylene — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  15. PP — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  16. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Composite materials filled with carbon, kevlar or glass Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. TECAFINE PP natural — stock shape properties Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Centaur PP Technical Data Sheet Formfutura · 2026-08 · tds
  23. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  25. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  26. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  27. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  28. Pro-fax and Moplen polypropylene — Chemical Resistance Guide (20, 60 and 100 °C) LyondellBasell · 2026-08 · tds
  29. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc